And so this is Christmas...
by Tarlouse
Summary: Piper recalls her last Christmas alone with her daughter. (Based after A Human's World is a Witches Prision)


**And so This Is Christmas...**   
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Recap: Piper lives in the underworld hiding from the horrors of above after she and many other witches are discovered. 

Told from Piper's point of view., after the events in Human's World.   
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I don't know how many Christmas' have passed now, but each one seems to bring back even more memories. I have been trapped in this world of hate, racism, and terror for five years now. Raising my little girl to grow up possibly hating the 'humans' that did this to her. 

Six long years alone, and I remember the last Christmas I spent with my family. I didn't know which year would be my last. You sit and believe that when your eighty that you will have your possible last Christmas, but trapped in a world of evil, where to have to hide to survive, each Christmas is treasured. 

Each one was spent alone. I'd sit and stare into the bonfire. It was snowing outside, but Melinda wasn't allowed outside in fear of her life. It was so hard. I didn't even remember what snow looked like anymore. I couldn't see the fire before me. I felt the warmth, only from the fire though, not the warmth of my heart. 

Melinda sat before the fire staring into nothingness. Although I couldn't see I could tell her saddness. It consumed me. In all the years with my sisters and Leo I never imagined that Christmas would look like this. 

There was no Santa, there was no carolling. This was how we spent the great time of year. Sitting in the darkness, before a bonfire, hoping that we wouldn't get found on this night. It was like every other night. 

I don't even thing that Melinda knew who Santa Claus Was, and if she did, he never came for her. 

It was her first Christmas. Melinda was in an old jump suit we managed to swipe from a nearby department store. I remember the night all so clearly, because I was walking with little Melinda in my arms. We passed by some carollers outside a store, standing and singing to the people passing by. 

In my rags I stopped, and listened. Each word sang reminded me of all the past Christmas' we spent together, my sisters, Leo and I. 

_Oh Holy Night,_   
_The stars are brightly shining,_   
_It is the night, of our dear saviours birth,_

I couldn't help but cry. Melinda stared towards the singers with wonderment in her eyes. I couldn't see the carollers but their songs seemed to sooth and make me cry in sadness. It tore at me, making me shake in despair. 

So this was Christmas... 

_So this is Christmas,_   
_And What have you done,_   
_Another year over,_   
_A new one just begun,_

_And so this is Christmas,_   
_I hope you have fun,_   
_The near and the dear Ones,_   
_The Old and the Young,_

_A very Merry Christmas_   
_And a happy new year,_   
_Let's hope its a good one,_   
_Without any fear,_

"Piper look what we got!!" yelled Prue from the top of the stairs. They were only fragments of my memory now. Their images only in my mind. She ran down the stairs by my room. I was only five but I remember it all to well. 

I rushed down the stairs after Prue giggling, Phoebe rushing behind me. She was only three, and was such a cute little girl. 

We hit the bottom of the stairs and in a scamper we rushed towards the tree, colliding over one another in a fit of giggles. I was so happy when I unwrapped Santa's present and found it was a new scooter. I had always wanted one. Mum smiled from the door, with Gram's beside her. 

Her smile was so warm, so inviting, and I rushed up to her and hugged her although I believed the present was from Santa. I loved her so much, I could almost cry. 

Everything was perfect, I was innocent, and I knew it wouldn't be the last Christmas. 

_And so this is Christmas,_   
_For weak and for strong,_   
_For rich and the poor ones,_   
_The world is so young._

Melinda was three when she stared out of the window on our car. Her nose was planted against the glass as she stared at Santa walking past ringing his bell. I heard the bell and turned around, looking in the general direction it came from. 

Melinda turned around towards me so innocently pulling her fingers from her mouth. She had a little green and red beanie on her soft brown curls upon her little head. Her green eyes shot up and asked me with such innocence; 

"Why doesn't Santa come for me?" 

I didn't know how to answer so I didn't. 

"Have I been bad mummy" she muttered quietly. She could speak so well for a three year old. I felt the tears seep through my wounded eyes. I couldn't look at her, I wished so much to take out outside and to sit on Santa's lap, like I did when I was young. 

_And so happy Christmas,_   
_For black and for white,_   
_For yellow and red ones,_   
_Let's stop all the fight,_

"Mummy!!!" Phoebe screamed. The fat jolly man scared her as she sat on his lap. Mum laughed and picked up Phoebe, and handed her over to Gram's who took her for a walk. I was jumping up and down excitedly. When Santa indicated for me to come towards me I practically jumped onto his lap. 

"Hi Santa!" I said with a cheerful bubbly voice. 

"Hello, and what do you want for Christmas?" 

"A new teddy, mines broke" Santa laughed at my reponse. It wasn't my fault I couldn't speak coherently at five. 

Santa looked over at my mother who nodded. He laughed and nodded at me. 

"Sure, I might see to getting that," he replied. "I'll have my elves work overtime just for that one" I smiled. I felt so special that Santa was giving me something just for me, and he would make his elves work harder for one small child. 

I kissed him and his handed me a lolly pop. Jumping off and waved him goodbye. If only every child was singled out as being special. 

_A Merry Merry Christmas,_   
_And a happy new year,_   
_Let's hope its a good One,_   
_Without any fear..._

Melinda began to cry that last Christmas. She had to Santa, she had to Christmas Carols. She had to live in fear, and had to sacrifice Christmas, perhaps the only time of year she could be a normal little girl. 

I wished that Prue and Phoebe were there, if only I could see them at that time of year one last time, before that fatal year. I cried still though, and Melinda knew I was saddened. 

I heard her move out of the room, but I was to upset to care on where she went. I had been protecting her for the last six years of her life, what was the difference this Christmas. 

The night passed on and the smouldering fire was all that greeted me when I was woken up. Someone was yelling at me, shaking me trying to wake me up. I looked in the general direction and asked immediately; 

"Where's Melinda?" 

They pulled me up and we rushed outside. We walked a few blocks through the cold night air. The snow was still falling that Christmas Eve, more than ever, I could tell by my sinking feet. For once I was trully chilled. 

I suddenly stopped when I heard my daughter's voice singing, alone. Immediately my worry dissappeared as I could almost see the size of my daughters heart. 

_And so this is Christmas,_   
_And what have we done,_   
_Another year over,_   
_A new one just begun,_

I walked up to my little girl and she held my hand tightly. I reached out and touched her little face, and smiled, she urged me on to sing, and I felt my soul needed to be freed, from all the past six Christmas' we missed which could have been the last. 

_And so happy Christmas,_   
_We hope you have fun,_   
_For near and the dear ones,_   
_The old and the young,_

_A merry merry Christmas,_   
_And a happy new year,_   
_Let's hope its a good one,_   
_Without any fear,_

I didn't care anymore. I now knew this was my last Christmas, and that although my sisters weren't with me, they would be with my in spirit and my memories. They couldn't take away the spirit of a Christmas, it lives within all of us, Melinda only brought it out again. 

And this was Christmas... 

FIN 

I know it was depressing but I felt it was a story I had to tell... people liked the story Human's World, Witches Prison so here is another add-on story.... 


End file.
